


A Single Stray Thought

by Chromascuro_523



Category: Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anxiety, Becoming an annoying voice in the back of someone's head, Dysphoria, Emotions, Family, Gen, Hugs, I'm Sorry, Introspection, Pancakes, Panic Attacks, Self-Insert, Sharing a Body, Sorry Not Sorry, You're Welcome, random idea
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2019-09-20
Packaged: 2020-09-27 01:54:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20399743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chromascuro_523/pseuds/Chromascuro_523
Summary: ...I’m kind of a voice in your head. You’re not insane though! I realize it can sound that way, but I promise, you’re not!...Noctis rolled his eyes. Like that was reassuring.-----Or: Vera is inexplicably trapped as a voice in the head of one Noctis Lucis Caelum, the protagonist of a game she hasn't played since it came out a few years ago. Hopefully, things can go better this time.





	1. Getting Emotional Over Pancakes

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Chromascuro here. This is my first story here! Not the first one I've written, but the first one I've really wanted to post and felt comfortable having people look at. I know I can get better as a writer, and I really want to improve my craft, so if you would be willing, please leave constructive criticism in the comments below. Please don't hesitate! Don't forget to leave Kudos if you like it! Thank you!

Chapter 1 --

  


When I awoke, something had changed about my bed. I felt the sheets and the mattress below me. Oh my goodness, how was it possible for a bed to be this comfortable? My bed in the apartment I shared with my sister had a mattress that was shameful in comparison. That was strange. The weight of the blankets was different. My bed had heavy quilts piled on in preparation for the oncoming winter, on this one the blankets were lighter. I felt a chill run up my leg as I realized that one of my feet was sticking out from under the blanket. Reaching limbs of thought through the fog of my tired mind, I tried to command my body to move my cold foot back under the warm protection of the blanket.

  


Why couldn't I move?

  


I tried once more to move my foot. No such luck. I exerted all the mental force I could to try to get even the tiniest movement out of my toes. Again, nothing happened.

Simply splendid. Sleep paralysis. Fan-freaking-tastic.

  


I would get sleep paralysis on occasion, so I wasn’t unfamiliar with this feeling, usually I just had to wait it out, be patient and eventually, I would regain control over my extremities. The only problem was that having no one to talk to for an extended period tends to gets dreadfully dull. In other words, I was bored out of my mind. Usually, when I woke up in the middle of the night for no reason, I could just pull out my phone and scroll through forums for a while until I either felt like going back to sleep or getting up. Sleep paralysis sure put a damper on that.

  


Since I had nothing else to do and no other being to speak to, I tried to remember how I had gotten into this quaint little situation. Let’s see...I had left my job late that night because I had been the lucky one to be on the closing shift. I had been looking forward to procuring sleep that night because I had spent too long playing Terraria with some of my high school friends who had moved after graduation, and ended up getting to sleep at four in the morning. I locked up...nothing suspicious there, and then...nothing. My memory simply cut off. I couldn't remember the most minute detail after that. That was odd. Usually, my memory is impeccable. 

  


Just then a thought crossed my mind. Had I been kidnapped? Who would want to kidnap me? I was just an average nobody! If I had that would explain a few things though. Like why I was in an unfamiliar bed in what most likely was an unfamiliar location. The sleep paralysis and the sudden memory cut-off? That could be explained by my kidnappers hitting me with some sort of tranquilizer drug, and it was only now starting to wear off. I internally started panicking. 

  


Then I felt my body stir. Oh good, I could probably move again.

Just then I heard the sound of someone bursting through the door.

Oh heck. My kidnapper had shown themselves. But instead of whatever I had been expecting to happen just then, my expectations got 360 flipped completely over.

“Rise and shine princess. We’re getting moving today, and you gotta get ready. We gotta be at the Citadel soon enough. Don’t wanna keep your bride-to-be waiting.” A gruff voice called from the doorway.

  


Uhhhh, what?

  


I felt my tired eyes blink open revealing a blank ceiling. I felt my body groan, rub my eyes, and then perform a lethargic roll to the side, swinging my legs down and sitting on the side of the impossibly comfortable bed.

  


My body released another resounding groan at the person in the doorway, “Go away Gladio. I can’t get ready with you here.” It responded in a young male voice.

  


Wha-Wha-What was happening?! My body! I couldn't control it!

  


**MY BODY! **There was someone else in my body**!**

  


The person in the doorway, apparently named Gladio, rolled his eyes before leaving. “ Yeesh. Just get your lazy butt out of bed and get ready. Iggy made breakfast.”

  


My body made one last grumble about getting up and stood suddenly wincing, then proceeded to a mostly empty closet. In the last part of my mind that wasn’t overflowing with hysteria, I sympathized. If I had such a comfortable bed, then I would be reluctant to leave it as well.   


  


Terror ripped through me like a merciless hacksaw, creating a channel allowing an entire ocean’s worth of panic and anxiety to fill my psyche. I wanted to scream, to cry, to try to call out to anyone who even had the slightest chance of hearing me! HELP! HELP! SOMEONE PLEASE!  **ANYONE** ! Anyone! _ _

  


_ ...please... _

  


I cried out. I cried out as hard as I could. No one could hear me. Not my sister Jenna, not my highschool gamer friends, and especially not the man who was occupying my body. Or was it I that was occupying his body?!

  


I could only watch helplessly through his eyes as he got ready for something that I did not know. I tried to focus on something else, embarrassed as he got dressed, the only thing I could do as I was forced to see everything he saw. I wasn’t that kind of girl. He finished dressing and headed out of the mostly empty room. Things had been packed away recently in preparation for a move of some sort.

  


He arrived in a small bathroom and looked at himself wearily in the mirror. The face that stared back at me was not mine, making me cringe internally. It belonged to the body I was held a prisoner in. The face that I was trapped behind. Another shocking reminder of the bizarre situation I found myself in. He was a young man that looked in his late teens or early twenties, not that far off from what I was myself when I was inside my frame. He had black hair in an unruly anime style and distinctive slanted blue eyes which sort of made him look Asian. I watched as he brushed his teeth and then combed his hair, then applied a generous helping of hair gel to it and precision sculpted it into very emo looking do. This guy looked like an anime protagonist, and at the same time oddly familiar. Maybe I was thinking of Sasuke from Naruto? Nah. Sasuke didn’t wear tacky black cargo pants last I checked.

  


Anime protagonist, as I was now dubbing the person that served as my prison, left the bathroom with his emo hairstyle perfectly done. I watched mentally exhausted from my breakdown earlier as he walked down the hall and into a modest kitchen. Another man wearing glasses was there attending to a small griddle where something was cooking. 

The smell of fresh pancakes wafted through the room and into my- _ his _ nostrils. Oh. Pancakes. Another reminder of the bleak situation I was in. I was supposed to be  _ home.  _ Spending the morning with  _ my sister  _ and her great blueberry pancakes she would always make for me when I had a hard day. A sudden tide of grief flooded over my imprisoned psyche. I was  _ tired _ of this already! I wanted to go  _ home!  _ ** _I want to go home!_ **

  


There were suddenly tears pricking at Anime Protagonist’s eyes. He sniffed. A whining sound came from deep within his throat as the tears started streaming down his face and he fell to his knees. He rubbed his eyes blearily as he hiccuped, gazing down at the tears covering them in confusion. More tears cascaded down his cheeks as soon as he uncovered them. “What the…” he whispered.

  


The glasses man who was cooking looked over at me- _ him _ bewildered. “Noct, are you… _ crying? _ ”

  


“I dunno Iggy. My eyes just started watering all the sudden.” The anime protagonist who was named Noct replied, voice croaking. He hiccuped again as he tried to stem the tears that were threatening to burst out. (Noct…Noct…why did that sound so familiar?)

  


Huh? This was enough to snap me out of my pancake induced breakdown for a moment. Why had Noct started crying just then? He had no reason to be sad unless he got all emotional over pancakes like I just did. _ Like I just did _ . I’d just realized something important. Noct  _ had _ no reason, unless… 

  


...unless some of my emotions had somehow gotten _ through _ to him.

  


Hope blossomed in my isolated mind. If I could get something through to him, then maybe I could contact him! I could get help! Or at the very least I could get someone to talk to. But how? He could feel my emotions if they were intense enough. That I knew now. Maybe he could hear me if I thought at him, and then pushed it through whatever was separating our minds? I would have to push hard. Really hard.

  


* * *

  


Noctis was confused. Something wasn’t right with this morning. Ever since Gladio had barged into his room to wake him up, something was off about the way he was feeling. When he woke up he felt content, more so than he had in a long time. At first, it was nice to get a bit of relief from all the chaos that was happening in his life recently, then when he had gotten up at Gladio’s insistence, he felt panicked. For what reason he wasn’t sure. Then It had lessened into loneliness and grief when he was getting dressed and fixing his hair.

  


Then there he was bawling his eyes out over pancakes on the kitchen floor of his apartment, Ignis staring at him shocked like he was some madman, and he had no idea why he was doing it.

  


Ignis, obviously still unnerved by his prince’s sudden display of uncharacteristic emotion, approached the young royal in some attempt at consolation. He put a comforting hand on Noctis’ back while helping him to his feet and seating him on a chair next to the table.

  


“Are you alright Noct? If the pressure of the wedding is getting to you-” Ignis started only to get interrupted by Noctis. 

  


“I’m fine Iggy. I told you. My eyes just started watering.”

  


“If you say so, highness,” Ignis relented, obviously still worried for the young royal. “Let me get you a plate.” Ignis did just that, and soon following, Noctis had a pate of Ignis’ perfect delicious pancakes in front of his face. Iggy soon after cleaned up the mess of breakfast and left the room to wait in the living area.

Another odd feeling came over him as he ate. Was that nostalgia? What about Iggy’s pancakes would cause him to get nostalgic? This morning was so weird. Why was this happening so suddenly? And why today of all days? They had to get going soon. The treaty signing was tomorrow night, and he needed to get to Altissia for the wedding. Was this going to get in the way? He couldn't break down in tears out of the blue when he and his retinue were leaving, or worse, during the actual wedding itself.

  
  
  


_ ...Hello?... _

  


It was a small sound, almost too small to be perceived, but if he strained his focus, he could vaguely hear the quiet voice. Noctis’ eyes widened as he sprang to his feet searching around the room for any sign of life, and when he could find none other than himself, he sat back down and rested his face in his hands. Great. He was hearing voices now too? He was beginning to question his sanity. Was he going off the deep end? Either that or Ignis was right and all the stress of the signings and the wedding was finally getting to him. Stress can cause weird reactions after all. Or maybe he was just thinking way too hard about this.

  


_ ...um, hey!... _

  


There it was again! He wished it would just leave him alone! “Who are you!?” Noctis hissed fiercely under his breath, for fear of his shield and advisor hearing him in the next room and causing Ignis to worry for his mental health even more than he probably already did.

  


_ ...Sorry for earlier, that was me… _

  


What was the voice talking about? It seemed to steadily get easier to make out every time he heard it.

  


_ ...Those were my emotions you’re feeling. I apologize. I’m new at this… _

  


“New at what? What are you talking about? Where are you?  **Who** are you? How am  _ I  _ feeling your emotions?”

  


... _ I’m kind of a voice in your head. You’re not insane though! I realize it can sound that way, but I promise, you’re not!... _

  


Noctis rolled his eyes. Like that was reassuring.

  


_ ...Anyway, hello, my name is Vera. You’re Noct right? I realize you must have a lot of questions and I’ll try my best to answer them. For the ones you asked earlier, I’m new at the whole being a voice in someone’s head thing. Not too long ago I was a person too, and as to why you can feel my emotions, I think it's because we're connected. I can see everything you see and experience everything you experience, but you’re the one piloting your body… _

  


Wait. A person? There was a whole other person in his body now?  _ Sharing his body now? _ Astrals, how did this happen? 

  


“Noct! You ready yet Princess? We need to get going!” Gladio shouted from the other room.

  


That thought could wait. As could this whole mess until they were out of the Crown City.

  
  



	2. Hugs and Realizations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we meet Prompto, Vera has an important realization, there are panic attacks, and to finish, hugs.

As far as introductions go, I think that one had room for improvement. I mean, there are only so many ways you could introduce yourself as a disembodied psyche taking up the (hopefully) temporary status as brain roommate, without sounding off the walls insane. Well, Noct hadn’t freaked out that much so perhaps I could count it as a win? That was a bit of a stretch though. I got the impression that because Noct and his friends were headed somewhere pretty important urgently, Noct didn’t have the time he needed to process what was happening to him. One issue at a time after all. I empathize. If something on this level was happening to me simultaneously with a bunch of other huge life events at the same time, I wouldn’t be able to handle the situation all that pleasantly.

Noct quickly wolfed down the remainder of his pancakes. They were delicious. After that Noct and his merry men left the apartment and made their way through an extremely large city. Looking up, the towering buildings of the city skyline made me feel quite small and uneasy. I was not used to this. Back home I had lived in suburban sprawl, one that was rarely prone to new developments. Sure I had been to big cities before, but those visits were few and far between. Nothing about this was familiar. Where was I? This didn’t look like any city I had ever visited before.

_ ...Hey Noct? I have a question. What city is this?… _

Noct seemed a bit taken aback by that for some reason unknown to me. He looked around at the people that were riding with him in the car that they were taking to get to wherever their destination was. (I recall Gladio saying earlier that it was a citadel? Again, that seemed familiar to me for some reason.) If he responded to me now, the others would hear him and based on Ignis’ reaction earlier, they would be concerned. Best to avoid that for now.

_ ...Ah right. If your band of merry men heard you talking to yourself, things might not go well. I’ll just wait till later… _

Speaking of which, I had to figure out what I could and couldn't do with this connection thing Noct and I had. I had previously figured out some things. Noct could feel my intense emotions and thoughts that I directed at him, but I couldn’t hear his thoughts or feel his emotions. Why was it a one-way connection? It felt like there was a barrier of sorts, something that was barring his mind from interacting with mine.

Noct choked a bit at the ‘merry men’ comment, provoking a sudden glance his way from Gladio and Ignis, Gladio shrugged it off going back to whatever he was doing, Ignis’ gaze lingered for a second longer before he too turned away. 

It was a short time later when we made our first stop. There was another person there waiting for us. He was a blond man wearing black like the others. He had one of the strangest hairstyles I had ever seen. Reminded me a bit like a bird’s behind the way It stuck up like that. The freckles speckled his cheeks gave him an overall light-hearted vibe. (Why was everything here giving me such familiar vibes? What am I not remembering?)

He opened the door and got into the passenger side and quickly sat down and greeted the other three. “Morning guys. You ready to head out into the great unknown?”

“Ready as we’ll ever be,” Noct responded and put out a fist which blond guy promptly bumped with his own. Noct and this guy seemed like pretty good friends.

_ ...This your best friend Noct? You two seem pretty close... _

Noct nodded slightly in response to my inquiry. Ah, nonverbal communication was a beautiful thing. It seemed that I could ask yes or no questions and get a response while we were in the crowded vehicle, limited though my answers may be. Question time!

_ ...So, you guys are going on a trip, but where to? Oh, right you can’t answer that now. Gladio and Ignis mentioned something about a wedding earlier. Is that where you’re going?... _

My query was met with a nod on Noct’s part.

_ ...So who’s getting married? Is it someone you know?... _

Noct pointed at himself. I internally sputtered. What?! Wasn’t someone like him a bit young for that? Okay, calm down. It was quite fine. I knew a few people who had gotten married that early. It was no big deal.

._ ..So, you’re what, going on a road trip with your boy band to go meet your fiance? She must live pretty far… _

Noct rolled his eyes at my wording but nodded. that probably wasn’t nearly all there was to the matter, but there was only so much one could say without talking.The same familiar feeling washed over me as Noct gazed out the window at the fusion of modern architecture and gothic style.

Why was this bugging me so much? Everything here was giving me these feelings. It was like I had a particularly bad case of deja vu, only it spanned the entirety of today. I had seen architecture like this before...Maybe I had seen something like it on TV?...That's right it _was_ from a movie! But which one? I had seen Noct and his friends before, of that I was certain. This city... it was Insomnia! From when my sister and I had watched Kingsglaive together!

Insomnia… Insomni-

** _ Oh _ **.

In my train of thought, someone had pulled the metaphorical emergency brake, and the engine came to a screeching halt. The only word I was able to coax my flabbergasted psyche into creating was…

What.

I was here. I was here in _ Insomnia _. The capital city of the kingdom of Lucis, the city that would fall tomorrow night in the invasion, the king of whom we were on our way to see right at this very moment. The king who would fall with his city, leaving Noctis and his friends to go on with a quest that would leave so many dead. And I was here at the beginning of that torrid experience, hitchhiking like some freeloader in Prince Noctis' body.

** _ Oh _ _ no _ . **

* * *

It was needless to say that Noctis was having a weird day. Waking up to find out that not only was today the day that he was to leave the walls of Insomnia for the first time in twelve years, to get married to Luna no less, but to find out that his body wasn’t his own private space anymore was a lot to take in.

Noctis didn’t have anything against Vera personally, she seemed nice enough, polite and well-spoken, not unlike Ignis. If the two were ever to meet he did not doubt that they would get along well. What irked him was her lack of answers for the strange situation that they had found themselves in. He hoped she would learn to control their connection so his friends could stop worrying about him over issues that literally weren’t even his.

As soon as they had stopped the car to pick up Prompto, and after he had answered several of Vera’s questions, he felt his mind filled with a foreign sense of familiarity. Not the sense of familiarity one would experience upon looking at something they knew very well, but the kind someone would get if they saw something only a few times before looking at it again years later. Like an intense feeling of deja vu. He took to gazing out the window to pass the time, but that only served to make it more intense. What was up with Vera? Why was she feeling like this? She had asked him earlier what city this even was, it made him wonder how she felt familiar about something she didn’t even know.

Suddenly that deja vu turned to realization, then, as quickly as it arrived that realization hardened to ice-cold, iron-clad dread.

_ ...Insomnia… Insomni- _ ** _ Oh _ ** _ . _

Noctis raised his head from its resting position on the side of the car. Something was wrong with Vera.

..._ What _ ... ** _ Oh no _ **…

A sword of fear, no, terror slashed across his being as his heart suddenly sped up. He pressed his back against the seat of the car. The light coming from the windows was suddenly too bright. _ Too bright. Too bright. _He brought his now badly shaking hands to his face to hide his eyes.

_ ...No. No. No. No. No. No. No. Not here. Not here. Not here... _

Noctis’ breath hitched as his breathing rapidly quickened, the roar of the motor was _ too much. Too much. Too much _. His entire body was badly trembling now. His chest started aching as his breathing became ragged. He brought his legs up to meet his chest, locking his arms over them to protect himself as the primal secondhand terror overwhelmed him, his thoughts stuck on repeat like a broken record.

_ ...What’s going to happen to me?...No..No No No No nononononononononono… _

_ ...Stop It! Stop it, Stop it, **Stop it!** You’re hurting Noct! You’re **hurting Noct** you **selfish, inconsiderate mouth breather!** Calm down! calm down, calm down, calm down, **calm down**… _

* * *

It was Prompto that first noticed what was happening. He glanced over at Noctis for the nth time after entering the vehicle with his friends, ready and eager to depart on their journey. He thought about saying something those other times, but Noct seemed deep in thought, so he figured whatever he would like to say could wait until later. That was until he saw Noct in the fetal position, his arms and legs wrapped tightly around him as to defend himself from some unseen attacker, breathing hard and trembling like he was out in the snow with no coat. 

Prompto knew what a panic attack looked like. He’d had his own fair share of them growing up. He knew something had to be done quickly. He quickly got Ignis’ attention with a tap on the shoulder. “Iggy. Pullover. Something’s wrong with Noct.”

Ignis looked over at Prompto, and upon seeing the dead-serious expression on his face and the look Gladio gave him, obviously having noticed something amiss with his charge when he turned his head to see the matter. He briefly turned back around to Prompto and gave a grave nod.

Ignis pulled the car into a nearby empty lot and exited the vehicle with Prompto close following. Gladio pulled Noct out of the car and set him down on the even ground below. Prompto knelt by his friend’s side as soon as he touched the ground. His questions as to why Noct was panicking could wait. Right now, his best friend needed him, and he was going to give it to him. He had the briefest of flashbacks to the letter Lady Lunafreya had sent him years ago. He was going to be the friend that Lunafreya had asked him to be, the one Noct needed.

He put a hand on Noct’s back. “Noct, buddy? Are you okay?” Noct’s response was to clench his arms to his even harder if it were possible and to start hyperventilating harder. He moved his hand along the prince’s back and gently applying pressure. Noct’s breath slowed some with the comforting gesture.

“Hey Noct, It's gonna be okay, you’re okay,” he softly whispered to the young royal. “Come on, breathe with me. In... out. Just like that. In...out...In...out...” Noctis slowly started copying Prompto’s breathing pattern as Prompto repeated it over and over. The soothing rhythm along with the gentle pressure on his back was enough to gradually calm him, the trembling ceasing, and his breathing slowly evening out.

Gladio and Ignis watched the scene unfold from a close ways away. When Gladio looked at Ignis, An unreadable expression covered his face. “What’s got you so bothered? I mean, besides what’s going on over there. That look on your face seems to imply its a lot more than this.”

“I’m worried about his highness’ mental health. Were you aware that this morning just before we left, he broke down crying seemingly over nothing?” Ignis answered with his expression unchanged.

“Really? I thought I heard some commotion in there, but dismissed it as Noct giving you a hard time.”

“It’s true. I find it strange that this is all happening so suddenly. He was going about as usual just yesterday. I was inclined to believe that this is only the stress of the signings and the wedding catching up to him, but there is just something inherently odd I find about it. ”

“What’s weird about it? Stress is hard on people. Noct is no different.” Gladio inquired with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m afraid I can’t quite put my finger on it. It's just a strange feeling,” replied Ignis, eyebrows furrowing slightly behind his glasses as he thought.

“Wow. Not usual that you’re at a loss for words. We should get going again, The king is expecting us and it looks like Blondie’s finally got him under some semblance of sanity again.” Gladio was about to turn back to Noctis and Prompto before Ignis grabbed his arm, forcing Gladio to face him once more.

“Wait Gladiolus. Will you please watch after Noct? See if you can find anything more about what might have caused this that My ears alone may have missed.” Ignis requested with the same concerned expression from earlier in the conversation.

“I always do Specs. It’s my job after all, but I see where you’re coming from, so I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you Gladio. I truly appreciate it.” Ignis gave a slight polite bow, and he and Gladio went to collect the youngest two and bring them back to the car.

* * *

It was a few minutes later that we arrived at the Citadel. It was even bigger than the game and the movie had made it seem, towering dozens of stories higher than any of the other buildings surrounding it. Oh man. I was again reminded of the fact that I was now on Eos, the world of Final Fantasy XV. Come to think of it, when was the last time I had played the game? must have been a year and a half to two years ago now. My sister had been the one to introduce me to it. I missed her already.

My mind briefly went back to the violent panic attack that I had caused Noct. The guilt I felt for forcing Noctis to share my pain with me was almost overwhelming. If I was just better at controlling my emotions, then he would have been spared that.

Hah. I thought bitterly. Noct had been trying so hard to be inconspicuous about talking to me. If only I could hear his thoughts, then this would be a whole lot simpler. Now that I had caused him another torrid breakdown, his friends were even more worried. I sighed. I am such an idiot.

They gathered in the throne room of the Citadel, where the aged king sat upon a lavish chair. This was King Regis Lucis Caelum the 113th king of Lucis. Bearer of the Ring of the Lucii and Guardian of the Crystal. Noctis’ Father. The Father of the Chosen King. Prince Noctis and his retinue positioned on the platform below the throne gazing up at the monarch.

“The decreed hour has come. Set forth with my blessing Prince Noctis.” The old man’s firm voice rang out across the room, filling the space with the echo created by the enormous room. Noctis bowed, “Thank you, your majesty.” his voice slightly warbling with the ‘your’.

“Take your leave and go in the grace of the Gods.” the monarch stated. He sounded apathetic. He knew what was going to happen to him. He would die and leave his son alone.

With that Noctis rose “Right.” he said quieter. With that he left the throne room, forcing his way through Gladio and heading for the enormous door to the equally enormous room. Ignis, Gladio and Prompto quickly bowing to the king and following their prince out.

“Well, Princes will be princes,” Prompto stated matter-of-factly.

“So much for royal protocol.”

“Not like you had to deliver a formal address.”

Noctis stared at the surrounding Insomnian skyline. This would be the first and last time I would see Insomnia standing proud like it was meant to. That made me wonder, If I had woken up in Noctis’ body before this, would I have been able to do anything to prevent this? Perhaps I could have, had I supplied my hazy memory of the events to Noctis. Could Regis have lived to see his son grow? Could I have prevented the deaths of all innocents that were killed in Niflheim’s invasion? But then again what could I do?

_ “It’s best not to deal with what-ifs,” _ My sister had once told me. _ “They pull you down and all that regret will make you end up miserable. Just like Uncle James after he missed that delicious Thanksgiving feast we had. He was regretting that for months.” _

Odd simile aside, Jenna’s words held truth in them. If I kept on going feeling sorry for myself I would just end up causing more damage, to both myself and Noct. I would miss opportunities for what positive change I could make. I would have smiled, had I been in control of a mouth at the moment.

“Your Highness!” A voice called out bringing everyone’s attention to the aged form of King Regis descending the stairs, his cane and leg brace not helping his image. This startling me from my stupor as well.

I saw the owner of the voice beside the king. I wanted to snarl. Captain Titus Drautos of the Kingsglaive actually known as General Glauca of Niflheim. He was the one who would murder the king in cold blood. There was nothing I could do about that. King Regis knew about the invasion and he couldn’t do anything about it.

Noctis gave an impatient “What now?” and turned back to the king, going up the stairs to meet him.

_ ...You should be nicer to your Dad Noct… _

He gave an indignant huff and continued on.

“I fear I have left too much unsaid.” King Regis huffed as Noctis reached him. Ain’t that the truth.

They had a short exchange about getting Noct to Altissia, Noctis anxious to get going. I mentally huffed in annoyance. How impatient.

Noctis was about ready to go down to where the Regalia was parked below before he was interrupted by his father. “And another thing.” the desperation in his voice made my heart want to break. “Do mind your manners around your charming bride-to-be.”

Noct playfully bowed to the king. “Your Majesty as well. Try to mind yours around our esteemed guests from Niflheim.”

The king gazed back with a serious expression.”Take heed. Once you set forth, you cannot turn back.”

“You think I would?”

“I need only know that you are ready to leave home behind.”

“Don’t know about you, but I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” Oh, Noct. No, you’re not. No, you’re not.

“Take care on the long road. Wheresoever you should go, the line of Lucis goes with you.” he put his hand on Noctis’ shoulder. “Walk tall, my son.” The king bid his son farewell with that look. You know the look I’m talking about. My heartfelt about to break. This was the last time Noctis would see his father alive. An idea struck me suddenly. Why not the first change I make, be here? I couldn't do much for Insomnia and the fate of the King, but I certainly could help both of them look at this moment together with each other a bit more pleasantly.

_ ...Noct, give your dad a hug. You won’t know when you’ll be able to see each other again. This could be the last chance you get in a long time... _

Noctis gave a startled blink at my sudden proposition, he moved to ignore me and go down to the Regalia below. No, you are not ignoring me! Proper closure was at stake here! I really didn't think it would do anything at all, but I refused to just let him walk away! I gathered all the force of will I could possibly muster at that moment and tried to force Noctis to turn around and spread his arms around his father, and to my immense surprise, the body responded, and did as I commanded! I almost forgot how good it felt to move! But why now of all times? Nevermind that right now. They're finally hugging. My heart. If I had lips, they would be trembling.

The king’s eyes widened as his son (or rather I) suddenly hugged him, but his eyes softened, then returned the hug, his arms around Noct’s torso held tight. After a moment they separated with some hesitancy and a fond smile on each of their faces. Noctis went down the stairs to meet with the boys and the Regalia running below.

That was the moment that I vowed. I vowed to King Regis as he turned away. I vowed to Clarus, to Nyx, to Crowe, and to all the other innocent people slaughtered by Ardyn and the Empire, to all the people who perished during the eternal night, and most of all to Noctis, Ingis, Prompto and Gladio. I will avenge you all. I will use what knowledge I have to try and better this world's future without the prophecy. You hear me Bahamut! Screw you! I'm going to find a way to fix this mess with minimal grief! 

_ ...You’ll thank me later Noct… _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You ever have a story that practically writes itself? That's what happened to me with this one.


	3. The Old Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which things were normal- and then they weren't.

The rain pounded on the outside of the small apartment building. Thunder crashed from the upward grey sky. The wind tore through the branches of the trees, catching on the sides of the loose windowpane and giving off a low whistle. It was on a stuffed red chair and behind the screen of a laptop that Vera sat and watched the scene of the storm rage outside from inside in glorious dryness. It was one of her favorite things to do when a storm rolled through the sleepy suburb. She found rainstorms to be relaxing, the drops pounding on the window in their rhythmic way calmed her nerves and enabled her to get more work done. 

This was what she loved. Being alone and doing her homework in peace. No one to bother her. No pesky Jenna or high school friends to bring her focus away from the essay nearly complete on the screen in front of her. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, typing out the next few lines before changing tabs briefly to reference the PDF of the book that was assigned. Almost done, then in a few hours it was off to work and then she could come home and get some sleep.

Just then she was suddenly conscious of the warmth of breathing on her shoulder. Vera’s eyes widened uneasily as she turned her head slowly to see who was-

“Hi there.”

Vera shot to her feet suddenly, inadvertently hitting her insufferable sister Jenna in the chin with her shoulder. Her laptop falling hard to the ground with a loud clatter.“**AAUGH!** What is _ wrong _ with you?”

Jenna, who had flown back from the impact, and was now rubbing her freshly bruised chin, gave Vera a dirty look. “You didn’t have to react like that. I was going to ask how much longer you were going to be hunched over your computer. That isn’t good for your posture you know.”

Vera knelt down on the floorboards, hands shaking as she reached for her laptop. That laptop had cost her _hundreds_...gruesome hours spent scrubbing nasty toilets in elementary school bathrooms for her first job had just been metaphorically flushed. 

She held the corpse of her beloved computer close to her chest as she opened the poor thing to assess the damage. A tidal wave of relief washed her away when the glow of the screen came on. The screen had a small crack in the corner, but it was otherwise okay. Good. Now she could turn her righteous indignation on the one who deserved it. Harm the laptop and you_ die._

Vera turned to Jenna and yelled, her face turning bright red in her fury. “WHY DID YOU DO THAT? MY LAPTOP COULD HAVE BEEN DESTROYED!”

Jenna, who was now looking quite sheepish, took a step or two back from the bristling ball of fury that was her younger sister. “Look, I’m really sorry about that. I was also gonna remind you that it's almost time for you to get to work, and I’ve got to come with you. I still gotta use the car to get to that family potluck you insisted on not coming to remember?”

Vera’s eyes widened in sudden remembrance, anger almost immediately forgotten. Oh, that was right. She shot a swift glance at the grandmother clock that hung in front of the floral wallpaper, it's pendulum swinging back and forth in a timely rhythm. 

“Its that time already? I could have sworn it was earlier than that…” She had lost track of time. It was almost 2:00 and she had a closing shift. Crap. If she didn’t hurry she was gonna be late.

“Yeah, it is. Storms like this always make my sense of time all screwy. It always feels either earlier or later than it actually is. Anyway, you’ve gotta get moving, don’t you? Jenna gestured to Vera’s room down the short hallway.

Vera set her laptop down on the coffee table and plugged it into the charging cord. She turned to glare at her sister again. “You stay. I need to go get changed. And don’t think that you’re off the hook for this. You are going to compensate me for the damage you moron. And don’t think you can get out of it by procrastinating for so long that I get fed up and do it myself.” She jabbed her finger in Jenna’s direction, and with that, she went off to her room to change into her work uniform.

A few minutes later, she and Jenna were seated in the beat up and the slightly rusty silver car that they shared between them, the rain had settled into a sprinkle, weakly pattering the windows. Jenna had named the car “Old Rusty”.They had bought it together a year earlier when they moved in together, desperate to gain independence from their parents after high school. It was tough, paying for the car insurance, rent, college tuition along with the rest of the bills on the pay of a restaurant cashier and a dance instructor, but between the two of them, they had enough to make it work. Vera sighed. She hated her minimum wage job.

Jenna sat at the wheel and Vera on the passenger side. They pulled out of the parking lot that belonged to their apartment complex and headed down the main road. The first few minutes were filled with nothing but the weak sound of rain and the traffic outside. The air inside the car was cold from the lack of heating, but also from the emotions of the passengers.

Jenna, growing tired of the silence slightly turned her head to her sister, smiled and then tried to start up a conversation, her mid-length bleach blonde falling over her shoulders. “So you wowing your professors with your great essays yet? All that studying must be paying off right? What was your major again? Ornithology?”

Her attempt at friendliness was met with no response.

Jenna sighed. “...Don't hold a grudge. You know I’m sorry about your laptop right? I know my jokes can go too far sometimes, but I can’t do anything to get better about that if you don’t tell me what I'm doing wrong and when it hurts you.”

Vera glared down at the floor, and after a few seconds of silence replied. “It’s just that you do things like that so_ much._ I hate it when you don’t care to think about the consequences of you’re actions and things end up broken or worse. Literally_ everyone _in our family is like you only worse! You guys drive me up the wall! This is why I wanted to move out so badly!” She put her face into her hands.

Jenna slowed Old Rusty to a stop when the upcoming traffic light turned yellow and then cycled to red. “Okay, I admit I was in the wrong, but I don’t think I was the only one at fault back there. I know that you have a hard time around people, especially people who are a bit..._much,_ but maybe you could try to be a bit more patient with me, with _us_?”

Vera huffed, but she had to admit that Jenna had a point, slowly nodding. She wasn't giving her family a chance. Why was Jenna always like this? First, she was a happy moron, then a wise old sage! She could change modes at the drop of a hat. But her proposition made sense. She was acting like a child getting angry so easily and then holding onto the grudge. She should just let it go and move on with her life.

The light turned green and Old Rusty jerked into motion when Jenna applied pressure to the gas pedal. Her head turned back to the road. “I’ll try to be less of a joke-happy idiot when you’re in one of your moods, and you’ll try to be more patient with me and our family. Deal?”

“Deal.”

Just then another huge bolt of lightning shattered the sky above them, a huge boom of thunder following not long after. It must have been pretty close then. The rain started falling again with renewed vigor.

“Woah! Did you see that? I think that was the closest I’ve ever been to lightning!” Jenna exclaimed in shocked delight.

“Yeah!” Vera’s face was pressed against the window watching with wide eyes as a few more bolts grounded in the distance. The atmosphere in the car as they drove on was much lighter from there on out.

* * *

They arrived at Vera’s work a few minutes later, a small chain restaurant with a few sites around the state. She stood up and exited the passenger side door, her spine creaking from disuse. Jenna switched the car into park. “Are you sure you don’t wanna come to the potluck? Last chance! Just tell the manager you got sick or something. You haven’t been to see any of the family since school started, Ezra and Ernie really miss you.”

“Tell you what, I’ll call them later. I’m sorry, but I’ve got to work. It's too late to change shifts now. Plus I have a closing shift today, so I probably couldn’t get a substitute If I tried. You go on.”

She walked through the door and switched with the person on duty as Jenna drove away. She and her coworker, a younger boy by the name of Kevin, were the only ones in the front, the rest were back making the food. Vera manned the cashier while Kevin handled the drive-through. 

The hours passed one by one, slow minute by slow minute like a river of molasses. Vera was getting tired of standing. She legitimately regretted having stayed up so_ late the_ previous night playing Terraria with her friends. Her feet hurt, her spine was aching, and she just wanted to get home and get some sleep. Jenna was right. All that sitting wasn’t good for her posture. The bags under her eyes must be so obvious. That must have been why the two customers that even bothered to come this afternoon and even Kevin were giving her concerned looks. 

She briefly wondered why she was even at work today. She was really regretting not going to that potluck now. She should have just called in sick and gone with Jenna, even if that meant she had to put up with her family. Oh, right. That was why. She wanted to get paid. She was finally going to get around to playing Nier: Automata and it wouldn’t pay for itself.

After a few more hours of tortuous standing and no customers showing up, it was finally time to lock up and go home. Vera was dragging her mutilated feet to the door-

_ Briiiinnng! Beep boop beeboop beep!_

Someone was trying to video chat with her, but why at this hour? She pulled out her phone to see the ID. It was Jenna. That was good. It probably meant that she was on her way with the car. She pushed the accept call button and waited a second for the image to load.

The image that came up wasn’t of just Jenna, there were many faces she recognized in the background. There were Vera’s parents, Grandma and Grandpa, Uncle James, even her two youngest brothers Ezra and Ernie were there, and she knew what a challenge it was for them to stay still for any period of time.

“Hi, Sis! Oh _wow,_ you look awful-anyway, we’re calling from Mom and Dad’s house to tell you that we love you!” There came a chorus of ‘We love you!' s from the background. Aww. As frustrating as they were to deal with sometimes, they knew how to make her feel loved when it really mattered. And now was when it really mattered.

Vera raised her hand and waved to all of them, a warm smile on her face. “Hi, guys. I’m really happy to see all of you. You just made my day.”

“Aww, you don’t mean that.” Her mother said sheepishly.

“I do Mom. I needed this. It’s been a long day for me, and an exhausting one at that.”

“Make sure to get lots of sleep when you get home! I don’t want to see those ugly bags underneath your eyes when I see you next time!”

“Vera! Vera!” Right as she was about to reply to her mother, her little brother Ezra yanked the phone out of Jenna’s hands and shoved it up _way too_ close to his face, giving her a great view of the insides of his nostrils. ” I lost a tooth, see!” He had indeed lost a tooth. One of his front teeth was missing, a dark gap filled where it was meant to be.

She laughed awkwardly. “Oooohkay, can you hand the phone back to Jenna now? I need to know when she can come to pick me up.”

“Just a moment, Young Lady!” The wrinkled face of Grandma Mildred filled the screen, taking the phone from Ezra, Vera heard a whine from him as the phone was snatched from the phone snatcher. “I know that you couldn’t be here tonight because of the important work business, but visit me as soon as you can, hear me? I haven’t gotten to hug you in so long!”

Vera chuckled weakly at the display. “I will grandma, love you. I have to get home soon, so could you give the phone to Jenna, please? As much as I love this, I hate standing out here in the cold.” 

“Of course dear. Just don’t forget to visit your grandfather an I!” And with that Grandma Mildred tried to hand the phone back to Jenna, keyword being tried_, _because more relatives snatched it away from the old woman for a quick chance to talk to her. First to Uncle James, then to Ernie, and on and on and on...

Finally, after it seemed the phone had traded hands hundreds of times, it rotated back to Jenna, and she was able to confirm when she would be able to come to get her poor sister standing out in the cold. Hopefully, it would only be a few minutes, as her parent's house wasn’t far away by any means. She sighed. As nice as it was to see everyone, it was even exhausting to deal with them and their loud personalities, even over the phone.

Vera, at last, took the key to the door from the ring around her finger and inserted it into the keyhole in the door. She shut the door and turned the key, the lock clicking. At long last, work was done. Now all she had to do was wait for Jenna to get here and then she could get home and sleep! Sweet, glorious sleep in the loving embrace of her bed!

She sat against the wall of the establishment in the darkness of the newly onset night as she waited for Jenna to show, the rain had long since dried up, but the chill it brought lingering. Vera hugged her thin jacket to her body for more warmth. How was it possible for it to be this cold in early fall? Usually, around this time of year, the temperature was still in the balmy eighties. Well, it was nighttime so that explained the cold a bit. She stood up to look around at the exits to the parking lot, hoping to see any sign of her sister. Seriously, what was taking her so long? Their parent’s house wasn’t that far away. Wait. Were those footsteps she heard behind her? A chill ran down her spine. Wait, that wasn’t from the cold of the night air-

* * *

_ T̷̖̆͆h̴͚̦͗̈ȩ̷̯͑ṛ̸̻͛e̷̱̒͘ ̵̛͇̠̉w̴̗̣̿ả̷̯͘s̴̛̥͊ ̸̟̅̕s̷̻͔̑͛u̶̙̮͊̕d̷̪̅̈́d̶͍͇̕e̷̗̚ņ̸̀ͅl̵̞̮̍y̷̳̑ ̴̭̈́à̷̝ ̶̺̻̏c̵̯̾ò̷̟͝l̴̡͌̀͜d̴̪̚ ̵̜̔k̵̭̤͊͂ń̷̲̠͠î̵̹̀f̶̞̝̕e̵̱̗͠ ̶̦̯̇p̵͙̏͑r̶̩̱͊̏ȇ̵̱̫s̴̞̱̃ṣ̵͔̋e̷͔̓d̶͖̥̈́͒ ̷̬́a̶̝͘̕g̷̦͛â̷͈͚i̶̖̻̒̎n̴͖͋̃s̷͍̣̚t̴͙͝ ̶̫̩͑͌ẗ̵̖́h̵͎̽̎͜è̴̖͗ ̴̫̲̓n̴͕̤͋͘ä̵͖́p̵̙̳̐ȇ̶̫̘ ̸͝ͅò̴͚f̸̩͒̔ ̶̲͝ḣ̴̻ẹ̸̖͂̓r̵̮͂ ̶̡̥̋n̶͆̓ͅe̵̘͍͂c̷̼̳̽k̵̹̂.̴́- _

_ ̵̋̇̃̉̿̔̑͜ _

_ "̵͚̜͌G̶̢̹̈ȋ̷̩͐m̷̘̋ṃ̶͌e̸͖̼̾̅ ̴̫͊w̶̲̻͒h̵̙̑ẵ̸̺̠t̵̘̠͊͌ ̷̝͠y̸̬̦̾̉ö̶̼̣́ų̵͚͊̄ ̴̯̼̏̕g̶̩͊̏o̶̡̯͌͂t̶͕̅̏ ̵͈̈́ǵ̵̨̘̉i̴͈̠̓̓r̸̤͑͘l̴͓̙̽̀"̸͚̎ ̴̟̿͑Ả̴̺̐ ̷̠́m̸̥͊a̸̲͑n̵̟̍̌'̷͈͠s̷̩̐͠ ̵̲̿͜v̴͍̭̌̊ô̵̪͎i̷̟͕̋̓c̶̗̣̽͝ḙ̸͇͘ ̵͕͉̌̀c̵̮̆o̸̗̮̓͠m̷̖͍͝m̴̳͝ͅa̵̤̿͒n̸͔̗̒͐d̵͓̦̎ë̴͉̭́̏d̵̻̏̈́ ̶̮̥̆̿h̴̺̯͌e̴̼͑r̸̬̘͝-H̸̱́͊ě̴̬r̵͙̓ ̵̢͒͑á̵̖̒ͅr̶̛͖m̷̤̈́̆s̸̻͛ ̵̛̲w̶͕͛̍ḙ̸̂̆ȑ̴̲̰͋e̶͙̼͆̍ ̵̣͎͂b̸̢̒̅e̸̗͈͋i̸͔͆n̷̙̪̑͒g̴̮̣͊͝ ̸̜̈́̊h̵̦͒e̵͙͂l̴̡͔̉͝d̶̡͇͂ ̶̼̅̌b̷̯̄̇e̷͙̿̾h̸̥̆i̵̪̾̉͜n̷̨̘̋̓ḑ̷̩̽̑ ̴̨̿̋h̵̥̉̋ě̶̤͉͑r̴̞̯̀́ ̵͇͖͠b̷̯̿a̵͙̤͒͂c̴̛̞͠k̵̫̱͗-̷̗͈̾ _

_ “Ì̷͕ͅ ̵̠̀̚d̷̳̀͗o̸̭͑n̸̥͇̓'̸̧̤͝ț̷̙̈́̋ ̷̮̉̕h̷͍͕̉̌a̴͔͂v̶̫͐ẽ̷͚̭ ̵̡̎a̶͈̒n̸̛̺̞͝y̴̡̟̓t̷̥̊h̴̢͒͠ï̴̛̻̙n̵̗̰̋g̵̛̼!̷̥̀͗͜"̸̥̾ ̸͉̂S̵̜̯̈́ḫ̸̩̏̓e̴̘̗̊ ̵̩̼̋́f̸̙̄͘ȇ̷͈ā̸̙͖r̷̼̊͂e̵̙͋̑d̸̝̓͝ ̵̤̊͋ḟ̸̢̩ő̵̞̰͑r̴̹̝̊̀ ̶͍̈́ḣ̵̞̮ȇ̸͉̟̀r̵̬̀ ̶̘̈́l̶͒̐ͅǐ̴̝͒f̴̡̀e̶̜̳̊͊ _

_ "̶̞͆̚Ì̴̯ ̵̰̰̈̇k̸̮͙̉n̸͇̋̄o̸͍͊͘ẃ̵̫̈́ ̸̽̈́͜y̸͓͖̐̂ô̶͙u̵̮͌͌ ̵̹̆h̷̫̭́̑ǎ̵̫v̴̗̆̂ȇ̴̺̖ ̵̣́̈́m̸̠̪̆̃o̸͙͊n̶̢͖̋̔ȩ̸́y̵̧̡͋͒.̸͇̿̿ ̶̨̯̀́G̶̜̱͘i̶̻̥͠v̷̢̬̐̋ẻ̶̲̗͠ ̴̯̌̐ì̸̧ț̶̄ ̶̰͓̉̓t̴̻̄͑o̵̬̠̔ ̸̥̈̎ḿ̴̠̚e̸̛̯͉̎.̷̨̫̅̈́"̵͈̓͐ _

_ ̴͖̺̪͓̅̾̈́̉̽̇̀͜ _

_ T̴̰͇̋̐h̶̞̯̚e̶̼̠̅̈ ̶̨̳̎ǵ̶̝̞͘î̸̮̺͑r̶̨̈́͗l̷̝̃ ̶̡̚e̶̙͖̔́ĺ̵̼b̸̮̀̈́o̸̯̣̓ẘ̶̱͝ē̶̫d̴͇̲̀̽ ̴̺̒̾h̸̳̄̒í̸̹m̶̬̿ ̸͓̠̋͠i̷̱̍n̴̜͎͆ ̷̢͆ͅt̴̖̺̒h̸͙̉̾ẽ̸̫̕ ̵̠͕̒s̵̳̐t̴̛̥͚ò̶͚m̸̥͎͠a̸̫͔͝c̸̼̩̿ḧ̸͍̱ ̷͓͘ǐ̴͉̳̕n̵͉̩̊ ̵͉̚ͅă̴̩̟̕ ̸̘͋̑v̸̧͛̀ͅả̸ͅḯ̴̳ǹ̸̜̩͘ ̷̝̥͌̚a̶͔͉͐t̸͖̻́t̸̹̏͠e̷͙̊͜m̸̧̀p̶̺̉t̷̟͉̆̿ ̶͉̀t̷͓̜̿̑ò̷͈ ̴͕͔̈́p̷̺̻͋r̵̟̔̚o̴͕̣̔͝t̸̲̀͋ẻ̷̻c̵͖͗̾ț̷̿ ̶̬̱̀͠h̵̛̠́e̴̖̍͊ř̵͕͝s̴̬̽e̵̻͑l̸̼̻̾͋f̴̖̮̆͠- _

_ ̵̛̭̠̙̺͗͌̒͝ͅ _

_ S̵̡̪͠h̵̙̳̏̇ȇ̸̹̇ ̵̢̻̄f̴͇̓̃ò̵͔͝u̶̲̞͑͗n̴̮̕d̸͖͗ͅ ̶̖͐t̵͇͋͌h̴̻̀e̵̩̙͋͊ ̸͔̂̊k̴̯̂̔ṅ̶̜̆ï̵̖f̸̧͋͗ḛ̵͚͐ ̴̦̹̄͘b̴̬̼̍̀u̶̖͓̿͊ȑ̸͙i̴̩̫̐e̸͈̓d̵̲͋ ̷̮̏d̵̪͘è̶͈̤͝e̵̗̮͗͐p̵̗͙̓ ̶͕͎̊i̴̠͍̾͝n̵̦̍̈́ ̸̲͒ḧ̵͎́͊ę̷͇͆̍r̵̟͌͂ ̵̢̄̈́s̴̜̭̾̀h̴̻͛̉ơ̸̠ṷ̵̧̇l̸͋͂͜d̵̘͓̅e̸̮̺̅̿r̵̘̍.̴͎̯̅̇ ̴̤̓Ḩ̴̢̉̚ẻ̸͜͝r̴̯͌͑͜ ̵͍̅͌ͅh̶͍͊̽a̷̧͐̀n̵͙͂d̸̳̼͝ ̷̙͂͆w̴̼̬̐ę̵̧́͝n̸̦͚̏t̷͕̜͒͠ ̶͍̀̓t̶͈͚̃̊ō̸̖̓ ̷͚̤̏c̷̳̏̓u̵̺̯͆p̴̱̑̚ ̷̡͎̽t̸̖͓͂ḥ̴̰̍͂e̶̹͐ ̶̠̈̚i̴̽ͅn̶̙̈́j̶͕͉̀̕ü̷̡r̶̜̒͜͝y̶̰͋.̸͕̅̌ ̶̯͂bl̷͚̉ö̵͓́o̶̯͛d̶̜̼̂ ̶̞͙͑f̶̨̡͗l̴̯̗̓̀o̶͙̩̐w̷̲̑é̸̤̓d̶̝̈́ ̷̝͋̓f̷̭̺̅r̸̡̠̂ẻ̵̙̝e̷̝͒̚͜l̴̩͖̂̕y̵̻̯͗̊ ̵̛̺d̸͖̜͐͝o̸̯̽w̵̠̻̎n̵̛ͅ ̶̲̽h̷̥̞͠e̶̮̽r̷͖̫͛ ̶͙͆̕ǻ̸̺ȑ̸̹͕m̸̩͑̕ ̵̛͚̭r̶͔̊̐u̶͓̖̇i̵͉̒̾n̷͍͌ī̵̳n̶̦̄g̴͍̃̐ ̷͓̊̔h̷̗̿é̸̹̮̈́ř̴̯̼ ̴̡̮̑s̶̫̊͜h̶̜͊̕ì̶̞̜̈r̴̮̂̂t̶̤͊ ̶̗̫̍b̶̮͉̆̍u̵̞͑t̸͕̯͐ ̵̠̥͂̚s̴̯͛̔h̸̜̩̽ė̵̩͖ ̸̙͘͜͝d̷̹̾͋i̴̹͑d̸̏ͅn̸͖̿'̵̠̅t̸̻͝ ̸̫̽͌ç̶̚ȃ̴̡̏r̵̜̽͜è̷͍̕-_

S̶̳̒h̵̻͈̐ė̸͙̻ ̵̘̓̋ḩ̵̑e̸͙͇̋a̸̭͌͝r̶̨͖̃͋d̶̢̳̓̄ ̷̥̔̑ţ̶͙͌h̴͎̣͑̀é̶͕̀ ̵̞̣́s̵̲̋͘a̷̰̟̒̒f̵̛͇͆ͅe̵̡͛t̷̮́y̸͙̜̐̇ ̴̟̦̀̄o̷̫̝̾̕f̸͔̮͛̈ ̵̉̇͜a̵̢͗ ̸͖́̓g̷͇̣̀ǘ̷̼͋n̷̝̓̕ ̷͉̀c̴̞̳̐l̷̠̣̑i̵̜͍̎c̴͇͖̈́k̸̞̑ ̸̳͌o̸̥͆̆f̴͙̂f̵̮͂͠.̶̡̙͛͠ ̷̲̃S̶̖̲͆̋ḥ̷̹̑ẹ̸͗ ̴̻͍̈̽ṭ̸̈́͝r̸̢̔i̸̝̯͒́ě̶̯͘ḍ̸̯̇ ̸̬̽̃t̶̥͝ǒ̶͙͝ ̴̺́̾r̸̜̐u̸̳̺͑n̷̰̩̓ ̶̾͝-

T̵̮̓̔h̴͙͑e̸̡͝ ̷̡̱̿̓o̸̝͚͐n̷̞͈̿̂l̷̜͐y̴̪͛ ̷̻̋̀t̴̬͚́̋h̴̝̘͛ỉ̶͈ͅn̶̛͖̝̽g̷̢͋̚ ̸͚͉̽t̴͖̓h̵̭̃̋ą̴̭͊͝ṯ̶̞̿̎ ̴̹͛m̶̙͚͠ą̸̿͒t̸͈̝̓ẗ̷̡̕ȩ̵͔̊͂r̵͕͚̈͂ē̸̞d̶̘͑̓ ̴̖͜͝ẁ̴̨͎a̵͉̲͛̽s̷͔̊-

** _BANG! BANG!_**

**Blackness.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! Flashback chapter is done!  
Big thank yous to everyone who gave kudos and commented! I really thought no one was going to look at this.  
This took longer to get out then I anticipated. School got in the way, then I was stuck in the purgatory of writer's block and depression for longer than I wanted, and then I had to watch a whole bunch of playthroughs and lore guides to make sure my memories were fresh. And then I go and make this chapter that has nothing to do with the game for the most part. Go me.  
Nevermind that though. I figured that I could give Vera a more concrete past, along with some more characterization. It really just seemed that the last two chapters she was doing nothing but angsting. So what did you think of her family? I really hope I gave them a believable dynamic. That was kind of easy for me to write as its kind of how I feel with my extended family.  
Anyway, next chapter will be back with the boys! Hammerhead and hunts along with hopefully more exciting stuff!


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